RD Colton Parayko to the Oilers?
Another defenseman the Oilers might look into if they strike out on Karlsson is St. Louis Blues defenseman, Colton Parayko. Like Ekholm, Parayko only has a $6.5 cap hit that runs through 2029-2030. Don’t be alarmed, as Parayko is only 29 years old and although he is struggling on the ice due to some injuries, he brings a championship pedigree, which will be a welcome boost to this Oilers team, especially on defence, which has struggled for the most part this season.
The Blues all signalled the white flag a week ago when they shipped centre Ryan O’Reilly to the Leafs, and prior to that have already traded winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers. Ken Holland should do his due diligence by picking up the phone and asking the Blues on what it will take to get them to move Parayko.
We shall see if that proposed trade might get things done, it will all depends if Oilers are asking the Blues to eat up some of Parayko’s salary. If the Blues is reluctant to retain some of the salary, Ken Holland might need to involve another team that will be willing to take on the salary to be able to even up the money.